NORML is proud to confirm that Dr. Lester Grinspoon will be delivering the luncheon remarks (via skype) at the 2009 National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Dr. Grinspoon is Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and served for 40 years as Senior Psychiatrist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston. A Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Psychiatric Association, he was the founding editor of both the Annual Review of Psychiatry and the Harvard Mental Health Letter.

He is the author or co-author of over 160 journal articles, including his 1995 commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association entitled “Marihuana as Medicine: A Plea for Reconsideration.” His first book, Marihuana Reconsidered, originally published in 1971 by Harvard University Press, was recently republished as a classic. His latest book, Marihuana, the Forbidden Medicine, co-authored with James B. Bakalar, was published by Yale University Press in 1993 (revised and expanded edition, 1997) and has now been translated into ten languages. Dr. Grinspoon was also a reviewer of the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.”

In 1990 Dr. Grinspoon received the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship and Writing from the Drug Policy Foundation (now Alliance) in Washington, DC. He presently serves on NORML’s Advisory Board and maintains www.marijuana-uses.com, which chronicles real life stories of people who have had positive “non-medical” experiences with marijuana.

“When I first began to study marijuana in 1967, I naïvely believed that its only use was as a recreational drug,” says Grinspoon. “I soon came to understand that it also had a second important utility, as a medicine, and I published (along with James B. Bakalar) Marijuana, the Forbidden Medicine.  Just as penicillin, after its discovery as an antibiotic in 1941, was soon hailed as a wonder drug because of its limited toxicity, its versatility in treating a number of different kinds of symptoms and syndromes, and its limited cost, we believe that marijuana, for the same three reasons, will eventually be hailed as a wonder medicine. Over the last decade and a half I have come to believe that there is a third category of marijuana use –enhancement.”

Lester Grinspoon says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Register for NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Dr. Lester Grinspoon:

Dr. Lester Grinspoon’s Marijuana Uses webpage: http://marijuana-uses.com/index.html

JAMA: Marihuana as Medicine: A Plea for Reconsideration: http://www.csdp.org/kz/tlcjama.html

Boston Globe: Marijuana as Wonder Drug: http://www.rxmarijuana.com/wonder_drug.htm

NORML is proud to confirm that California state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano will be delivering the opening remarks at the 2009 National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

In February, Assemblyman Ammiano introduced legislation to legalize and regulate the commercial production and sale of cannabis for adults age 21 or over. The proposal — Assembly Bill 390: The Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act — is the first bill ever to be introduced in the California legislature that seeks to tax and control the sale of cannabis.

Says Ammiano: "With the state in the midst of an historic economic crisis, the move towards regulating and taxing marijuana is simply common sense. This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops, and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes. California has the opportunity to be the first state in the nation to enact a smart, responsible public policy for the control and regulation of marijuana."

In July, a revised budgetary analysis by the California State Board of Equalization estimated that the passage of Ammiano’s bill would raise approximately $1.4 billion in annual new state revenue.

Tom Ammiano says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Meet Tom and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Assemblyman Tom Ammiano:

Ammiano Proposes Bill To Tax And Regulate Marijuana

Associated Press — Calif tax officials: Legal pot would rake in $1.4B

CBS 5 interview

This weekend NORML SHOW LIVE comes to you direct from Kelley Point Park in Portland, Oregon, for the fifth annual Portland Hempstalk.  The live stream begins at 6pm PT / 9pm ET and continues for two hours.

You can listen to the show live three ways (and no, regular terrestrial or satellite radio is not one of those ways… yet):

1. Point your web browser to http://live.norml.org and follow the links to Show 002. (Or use the link on the powder-blue BlogTalkRadio player you see there on the right…)
2. Point your mobile phone’s browser to http://m.blogtalkradio.com/norml. Click the link at the bottom of the page for Shows and Blogs. Click the link for Show 002.
3. Call 347-994-1810 on your mobile phone. (”347″ is a New York area code, so long distance charges, if any, would apply. Probably only an option if you’ve got unlimited minutes and free domestic long distance.)

The show will also be archived about one hour following the live broadcast. You’ll be able to hear it all week on the embedded player to the right or by subscribing to it as a podcast on iTunes. (The live show should be available at 6pm Pacific and should stay on this page until Thursday. Click the “play” button to begin.)  You can listen to last weekend’s show up until showtime.

We will be performing the show in front of a live audience at the Hemposium Stage.  We’ll be pulling in guests from the Hempstalk lineup as they become available.  Jack Herer, The Emperor of Hemp will be there and should stop by for a visit.  NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre will also be on the show.  Spoken word artist and Native American activist Jon Trudell will speak and perform.  Amy Nelson and Cathy Guthrie (the daughters of Willie Nelson and Arlo Guthrie, respectively) as the acoustic duo Folk Uke will be performing at Hempstalk.  Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris from the West Coast Leaf newspaper will be on hand to discuss Chris’s work as an expert witness in cannabis cultivation and Mikki’s work with the Cannabis Consumers Campaign.  Paul Stanford of The Hemp & Cannabis Foundation and Madeline Martinez, executive director of Oregon NORML and NORML Board memberwill speak about Oregon’s move to tax & regulate marijuana in 2010.  NORML Legal Committee attorneys Paul Loney, Lee Berger, and John Lucy IV will answer your legal questions.

We’re also taking your calls at the bottom of each hour. Dial 347-994-1810 to listen in on your phone and press 1 at any time if you’d like to speak to the host or guests. Your call will be screened and we remind you to have a question ready, keep it short and to the point, and avoid profanity (we’re not FCC regulated on the net, but if we want to take this to terrestrial radio, we need to act like it.)

NORML is proud to confirm that Richard Lee, the self-professed ‘Mayor of Oaksterdam’ will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Richard Lee has been working to end cannabis prohibition for nearly two decades. In 1992 he co-founded Legal Marijuana – The Hemp Store in Houston, Texas, one of the first hemp products retail outlets in the United States. In 1997, Richard relocated to Oakland, California, where he co-founded the Hemp Research Company, which supplied medical cannabis to the Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Club, and promoted efficient and environmentally friendly methods of cannabis horticulture. Two years later he opened the Bulldog Coffeeshop, the second retail cannabis outlet in "Oaksterdam." In 2003, Richard founded the Oakland Civil Liberties Alliance, the political action committee that passed Oakland’s Measure Z — making private sales, cultivation, and possession of cannabis the lowest law enforcement priority and mandating that Oakland tax and regulate cannabis as soon as possible under state law. More recently, he founded the first-ever cannabis college in the United States, Oaksterdam University, which seeks to provide students with the highest quality training for the cannabis industry.

Richard was one of the driving forces behind the recent passage of Oakland’s Measure F, which imposes the nation’s first ever business tax on retail marijuana sales, and is presently spearheading The Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, which seeks to allow California adults 21 years of age and older to possess and consume, cultivate, and possess small amounts of cannabis. Richard will be discussing and debating various aspects of both of these reform endeavors, and what they mean for the cannabis community, at NORML’s 2009 conference.

Richard Lee says, "Yes we cannabis" and so should you! Meet the Mayor of
Oaksterdam and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Richard Lee:

San Francisco Examiner: Pro-Pot Activists Take Step Toward Putting Legalization On Ballot

Sacramento Bee: Oakland pot tax adds fuel to legalization fire

CNBC’s Marijuana Inc profiles Oaksterdam University

NORML is proud to confirm that Mark Stepnoski
will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Mr. Stepnoski is a decorated pro athlete. Mark played for thirteen years in the National Football League, during which he won two Super Bowl rings (with the Dallas Cowboys) and was nominated for the Pro Bowl on five occasions. Mark was also named second team center on the NFL ‘All-Decade team’ for the 1990s.

Since retiring from pro football in 2001, Mark has dedicated much of his energy to reforming America’s antiquated and draconian marijuana laws. He is a former President of Texas NORML and presently serves on NORML’s national advisory board. "I took great pride in my performance on and off the field, and often questioned why our culture embraces alcohol while simultaneously stigmatizing those who choose to consume a less harmful alternative, marijuana," he says. "[It] is inconsistent, both legally and socially, for our laws to punish adults who make the ’safer’ choice."

Mark will be leading an all-star panel discussion at this year’s conference pertaining to the use of cannabis among top athletes. "Since I was a kid, I wanted to play in the NFL," says Mark. "Even though I occasionally used marijuana, it never prevented me from attaining my goals."

Mark says, "Yes we cannabis" and so should you! Meet Mark and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Mark Stepnoski:

New York Daily News: Smoking Is NORML

Reason.com: Lineman for Liberty — Former Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski tackles prohibition

Valley Advocate: Tokers Got Game

I am thrilled to be hosting our debut show tonight at 6pm PT / 9pm ET. I hope you all make it a regular Saturday night ritual.

You can listen to the show live three ways (and no, regular terrestrial or satellite radio is not one of those ways… yet):

1. Point your web browser to http://live.norml.org and follow the links to Show 001. (Or use the link on the powder-blue BlogTalkRadio player you see there on the right…)
2. Point your mobile phone’s browser to http://m.blogtalkradio.com/norml. Click the link at the bottom of the page for Shows and Blogs. Click the link for Show 001. (I’m not completely sure the live show will play this way; it may only allow you to see the blog and comments. If so, try…)
3. Call 347-994-1810 on your mobile phone. (”347″ is a New York area code, so long distance charges, if any, would apply. Probably only an option if you’ve got unlimited minutes and free domestic long distance.)

The show will also be archived about one hour following the live broadcast. You’ll be able to hear it all week on the embedded player to the right or by subscribing to it as a podcast on iTunes.  (The live show should be available at 6pm Pacific and should stay on this page until Thursday.  Click the “play” button to begin.)

Guests for our premiere in the first hour are Steve Fox (MPP), Mason Tvert (SAFER), and Paul Armentano (NORML) discussing their new book, “Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?”. Later in the hour, NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre joins the discussion.

In our 2nd hour, mixed-martial arts champion Toby “Tigerheart” Grear of True Warrior Fitness discusses being banned from fighting professionally in California because of positive tests for his legal medical marijuana.

We’re also taking your calls at the bottom of each hour. Dial 347-994-1810 to listen in on your phone and press 1 at any time if you’d like to speak to the host or guests. Your call will be screened and we remind you to have a question ready, keep it short and to the point, and avoid profanity (we’re not FCC regulated on the net, but if we want to take this to terrestrial radio, we need to act like it.)

NORML is proud to confirm that former World Wrestling Entertainment heavyweight champion Rob Van Dam will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Rob Van Dam has amazed audiences around the world with his athleticism and martial arts skills. Throughout his wrestling career, Rob Van Dam rarely hesitated to voice his affection for cannabis — even coining the popular catch-phrase, “4:20 means I just smoked your ass.” In 2006 he reached the pinnacle of his profession, winning the WWE world heavyweight championship.

He was eventually stripped of the title later that year following his arrest for minor marijuana possession.  Since leaving pro wrestling he has appeared in numerous television shows and action films, as well as hosting his own online series RVD TV.  Rob Van Dam is open about his marijuana use and the need to reform America’s cannabis laws, frequently discussing the issue on his live radio show.

“Our federal government prohibited this organic plant based on lies, continues to classify it among the most dangerous drugs to validate billions in funding pointless agendas, and denies it’s medical value, causing countless lives to suffer needlessly,” he says.  “How can anyone not care?”

Rob will be participating an all-star panel discussion at this year’s conference pertaining to the use of cannabis among top athletes.  Says Rob: “How about we stop ignoring the fact that World Champion athletes who take their health extremely seriously sometimes choose to use marijuana? Why are we ignoring the message there?”

RVD says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Meet Rob and hundreds of other like-minded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Rob Van Dam:

Watch Rob Van Dam discuss marijuana legalization on Geraldo at Large (Fox News)

Listen to Rob Van Dam debate former Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey on MSNBC here

Rob Van Dam in High Times magazine (March 1999)

NORML is proud to confirm that best-selling author and television personality Rick Steves will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Mr. Steves is the host of the popular public television series, “Rick Steves’ Europe,” and author of over 30 European travel books.  For more than 30 years, he has helped American travelers connect more intimately with Europeans — often for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.

Since joining NORML’s Advisory Board, Rick has been an outspoken advocate for marijuana law reform.  He hosted the recent television program Marijuana: It’s Time for a Conversation, and has spent countless hours lobbying politicians in his home state of Washington (and elsewhere) about the need to stop arresting responsible adults who consume marijuana.

“Like most of Europe, I believe marijuana is a soft drug (like alcohol and tobacco), not a hard drug,” he says.

“Like alcohol and tobacco, it should be treated as a health rather than a criminal issue. Crime should only enter the equation if it is abused to the point where innocent people are harmed.”

He adds: “As a parent helping two children navigate their teen years, and as a travel writer who has seen firsthand how Europe deals with its drug problem, I’ve thought a lot about U.S. drug policy — particularly our criminalization of marijuana.  … The time has come to have an honest discussion about our marijuana laws and their effectiveness. We need to find a policy that is neither ‘hard on drugs’ nor ’soft on drugs’ — but smart on drugs.”

Rick says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Meet Rick and hundreds of other like-minded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Rick Steves:

New York Times: Fresh Ideas for a Tired Crusade

Seattle Post Intelligencer: We need to get smart about marijuana

Listen to Rick Steves deliver the keynote speech at NORML’s 2005 national conference

Listen to Rick Steves interviews on the NORML Daily Audio Stash here and here and read more Rick Steves posts on the Stash Blog.

NORML is proud to confirm that Jessica Peck Corry will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Ms. Corry is a Denver-based public policy analyst and political strategist, specializing in civil rights issues. In 2008, Jessica was highlighted as one of Colorado’s most influential women by the Denver Examiner; in 2007, she was named one of Colorado’s top political “Movers and Shakers” by the Colorado Statesman. She regularly appears on Denver TV and radio for her policy expertise and her blog, “The Corry Story,” is published by The Denver Post’s PoliticsWest.com.

Jessica is a former GOP candidate for the Colorado state senate, where despite being outspent more than four-to-one, she garnered nearly 47 percent of the vote against a two-term incumbent. She began her career as a press secretary in the United States Senate, working for U.S. Senators Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and for the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Ms. Corry is the proud parent of two young daughters, and is an outspoken critic of cannabis prohibition ­ in particular, its adverse effects on children. “It costs $30,000 a year to incarcerate a pot dealer,” she says, “and we spend $10,000 a year to educate a child.”

Jessica says, “Yes we cannabis” and so should you! Meet Jessica and hundreds of other like-minded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Jessica:

Colorado Daily: Republican Moms Hold the Keys to Marijuana Legalization

Mom’s Logic: Pot Parents: Smoking’s Better Than Drinking

NORML Daily Audio Stash interview: “Let me be the parent to my children”

NORML is proud to confirm that Norm Stamper will be speaking at the 2009 NORML National Conference in San Francisco, CA.

Mr. Stamper was a police officer for 34 years, the first 28 in San Diego, the last six (1994-2000) as Seattle’s Chief of Police. He has a doctorate in Leadership and Human Behavior, and is the author of Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing (Nation Books, 2005). He is an advisory board member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) and The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and is a frequently featured critic of the drug war on radio and cable news outlets.

Most recently, Norm penned the forward to the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink? (Chelsea Green, 2009), stating: “From my own work and the experiences of other members of the law enforcement community, it is abundantly clear that marijuana is rarely, if ever, the cause of harmfully disruptive or violent behavior. In fact, I would go so far as to say that marijuana use often helps to tamp down tensions where they otherwise might exist.”

Norm says, "Yes we cannabis" and so should you! Meet Norm and hundreds of other likeminded people at NORML’s 38th annual conference, taking place September 24-26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Francisco. For registration information, please visit: http://www.norml.org/conference.

More about Norm:

Huffington Post: Thoughts on Pot vs. Alcohol from a Former Police Chief

Huffington Post: Marijuana Is No Laughing Matter, Mr. President

Huffington Post: A Former Police Chief on New Marijuana Book